KDDI and Fujitsu have just launched a powerful new Android smartphone which is scheduled to be released in Japan in early July. The device – known as the Fujitsu Arrows Z ISW13F – is a very capable device and that would likely be a big hit if it were to reach either the European or North American market. Why do we say so? What more can you ask for from an Android device with 1.5GHz Tegra 3 Quad Core processor, 13MP camera, and a waterproof and dust-proof design? Give it a catchy name, a nice $199 subsidized price, and you have a device that can go toe to toe with HTC’s One X aka EVO 4G LTE, and Samsung’s S3. Sadly though, it’s never likely to be anything but an import for those with more exotic tastes. Oh, and it’s a WiMax capable device, which is a dying connectivity standard.

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Other interesting features include a built-in FM transmitter, a humidity sensor, thermometer and a fingerprint scanner. Fujitsu has had a very wide range of successful Android devices under the Arrow brand, and in our meeting with them in Las Vegas, they expressed strong intention to enter the North American market, calling it a “top priority”. That being said, it’s likely that they will be releasing devices in partnership with Toshiba, and will use the Regza brand, as they feel that is a name that consumers are much more familiar with.

Anyway, back to the juice! Spec wise, this device hits it out of the park. Operation of games, web browsing and the UI are all butter smooth. Fujitsu has a ton of experience making quality wares, but initial reports from the Verge and Engadget are suggesting that the device, while good in the hand, could have been built a bit more tightly.

As we said before, spec-wise, the device is a true champ, and bests some of the leading devices in a few areas of note. To start off, the Fujitsu Arrows Z ISW13F boasts of 13.1MP digital camera which can record 1080/60p videos and a 1.3MP front-facing camera for video chatting as well. It may not be as ridiculous as Nokia’s 41MP PureView camera, but is certainly superior to any of the latest offerings from Samsung, HTC, or LG.

Other features of the smartphone include, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of ROM (expandable to 48GB with microSD card), a 4.6-inch 720p display, and a plethora of connectivity features including WiMAX, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, CDMA/GSM/GPRS/W-CDMA. The phone measures 135mm x 67 mm x 10.6mm and weighs a mere 145 grams. It packing a modestly sized 1800mAH batter, too. Of course, the device runs Android 4.0 so that just about seals its awesomeness. Finally, for the color-conscious, you’ll be happy to know that the Fujitsu Arrows Z ISW13F will be available in both red and black iterations.

We really hope that this phone gets an international attention. If you’re super keen, independent resellers are beginning to list this device for around $680USD+/-. As always, we’re here to give you more information about this phone for as long as we can gather more updates about it.

We all know HTC, we all know Samsung, and we all know Motorola, LG, and Sony. But what about the lesser known manufacturers? They are hungry for your love (dollars) too. Out of the offerings you’ve seen from ZTE, Huawei, Meizu, Panasonic and Fujitsu – which one would you say stands tall? Also, be sure to check out the best Android Phones of 2012. Let us know in the comments what you want to see! We’ll continue scouring the earth for the latest and greatest of all things Android!